“Those who were sure that they would meet their Lord said: How often has a small group vanquished a numerous group by Allah’s permission, and Allah is with the patient.”
This is among the many stories illustrating the bravery & steadfastness of the sahabah (in my own words with edits) from one of the few books that Alhamdulliah changed my life.
“I swear by Allah, I will fight in the path of Allah and I will follow those people that turn to Allah. My Lord will never see me turn my back and flee from fighting. If I turn back then I will be disobeying Allah and then I will be from the sinful.”
With this, Diraar bin al Azwar radiy Allah `anh, saying the takbeer, jumped into the midst of the Roman soldiers and attacked. Hearing the takbeer, the other Muslims followed suit, and the takbeer echoed on the battlefield and tore the hearts of the Kuffar with fear and ru`b. Diraar radiy Allah `anhu was fighting with such fervour and passion that he struck dead all that came in his way until he came to an enclosure at which the main soldiers were standing around.He understood that this meant that Darwaan (the general of the Roman army) was going to be here. Knowing this, he charged at the group of soldiers. First he attacked the flag bearer and pierced him with such a blow that he fell there and then. Suddenly his eyes fell on Darwaan. He went towards him. Near Darwaan was a soldier who was holding a prized ornamental cross. Diraar radiy Allah `anh struck him with a lance which tore his side apart and the cross fell on the floor. Darwaan on seeing this, sensed his last. He could not but interpret the falling of the cross as a sign of the destruction of him and his army.
He got up from his horse, intending to pick the cross up but instantly some Muslims who were nearby got down from their horses to pick it up and encircled Darwaan. Diraar radiy Allah `anh was still occupied in fighting but when he saw the happenings he said, ‘O group of Muslims, nor is the cross my right, or your right. Hence have no desire of picking it up. When I finish with this Roman dog and his army, I myself will pick it up’.
Darwaan understood Arabic, and when he heard these words he thought of fleeing the battle but his main army officials saw him escaping and said angrily, “Where are you fleeing?” He replied, “I am fleeing from the fear of this Shaytaan (indicating towards Diraar radiy Allah `anh). He is such a frightful person, why have you ever seen such a repulsive fear-provoking person?” Diraar radiy Allah `anh sensing that Darwaan was attempting to flee immediately called upon the Muslims. He straightened his spear and with his horse went directly towards him. The Romans also heard his cry and all turned their horses towards him in order to enclose him.
At that moment he was saying: “Death is real, where can I flee from it? Jannah is better than Jahannam. This is my shahaadah, O those who are present, be my witness, and all my efforts and work is only to please my Lord.”
With these words he attacked the Romans that were coming towards him. He finished them and then went further into the enemy lines to find Darwaan. Some of the Roman soldiers came behind him and slowly slowly they surrounded him from all four sides. He resisted attacks from all sides and whichever soldier his sword fell on, it decreed the death for him. In this way he put to sword many of the bravest and courageous warriors from the Roman army. Then he called to the Muslims, “Surely Allah loves those who fight in His path in ranks, as if they were a solid structure.” Until now the Muslims had not been aware that Diraar radiy Allah `anh was surrounded by the Romans, and now they went towards him quickly. Hamraan bn Wardaan reached him and struck him with a spear. It struck Diraar radiy Allah `anh on the right arm. His hand fell to his side, numb in pain. Like an injured lion, he sprang up again, regaining his composure, he attacked with his spear. Diraar radiy Allah `anh struck at the chest and cleaved his body into two. When he tried to takeout the spear, as the blade of the spear had gone right through the bone, it came out without the blade. When the Romans saw that his spear was bladeless, they quickly surrounded him, and imprisoned the lion of Islam. When the Sahaaba radiy Allah `anhum saw this, their grief knew no bounds. They attempted another attack to try and free him but it was of no avail. Now, some of the Muslims lost heart and tried to flee but Raafi` bn `Umayrah Al Taa’ee radiy Allah `anh stopped them saying,
“Where are you going? Do you not know that whosoever flees from the enemies of Allah he will be under the wrath of Allah. Many if the doors of Jannah are opened for the Mujaahideen and for those who are patient. O elevators of the deen, be patient and remember that if one of your soldier, or your leader gets captured, Allah is still alive and He is watching.” 
With this, the Muslims rose to fight eagerly and put to sword many of the leaders of the Roman army. When Khaalid bn al Waleed radiy Allah `anh, found out about Diraar radiy Allah `anh and the shahaadah of the many Muslims, he was very remorseful. He asked, “How many Romans are there?”, “Twelve thousand” was the answer. He replied, “By Allah, I did not know that the number of the enemy was so large, or else I would never have sent the people to their destruction to fight them.” He further asked, “Who is the commander of the army?” It was answered, “Darwaan, the governor of Hims, and Diraar (radiy Allah `anh) had killed his son Hamdaan,” Khaalid radiy Allah `anh said, “There is no might or strength, except of Allah’s, the High and the Great.” They sought the advice of Abu `Ubaydah ibn al Jarraah radiy Allah `anh, who told him that he should carry on fighting the Romans. His advice was to keep part of the army with a trustworthy commander whilst Khaalid radiy Allah `anh should go with the rest of the army to fight the Romans. He took heed of the advice and made Maysarah ibn Masrooq radiy Allah `anh, the commander with a thousand soldiers under him and told him not to move from where his contingent was positioned. Thereafter, addressing his army he said,
“Leave your reins free and sharpen your arrows and when you attack the enemy then attack jointly together. It is likely that we will free Diraar radiy Allah `anh if he is alive and then we will be successful. However, if it so happens that the enemy act in haste and make him a shaheed, then inshaa’aAllah al `Azeez, we will surely take revenge and I am sure that Allah Ta`aalaa will not give us grief in regards to him (i.e. they would find him alive). Today is the day when truth will reach its goal. When death comes then one does not fear it. I will quench the thirst of my spear with the blood of the eye. Helmet and shield, I will tear apart all. What those that have passed before have achieved, I too will achieve tomorrow.”
Saying this, Khaalid radiy Allah `anh pressed forward when suddenly he saw a rider dressed in black, face covered, on a short necked chestnut brown horse of tall stature. In the rider’s hand was a long glistening spear, and the style and behaviour indicated towards bravery and valour, and this was apparent from every part of the rider. The rider had on a green `imaamah whose ends were wrapped round from the back and positioned around the chest and was spurring onwards at the forefront of the army.
When Khaalid radiy Allah `anh saw this rider, he said, “O that I knew who this rider was, I swear by Allah, it looks like a brave and valiant person.”
As the rider was going on forward ahead of everyone else, towards the army of the non believers, the Muslim army followed behind. Raafi` ibn `Umar Al Taa’ee was fighting with the enemies with great perseverance and was confronting them with immense bravery, when he saw Khaalid radiy Allah `anh bringing in his reinforcement and join in the attack. Then suddenly his eyes fell on the rider. The rider was falling upon the Romans as a falcon would a sparrow and was creating unprecedented panic amongst the Romans. Any soldier that came in the way was slain and in this way the rider advanced more and more inside the core of the Roman army. Like a flash of lightening was the rider, and in an instant a couple of heads would be put to the sword. A number of soldiers were reduced to ashes and fell on an already large number of fallen Romans and due to this the place stood out from the rest of the battlefield.
When the riders sword would come out from its usage in the army, it was dripping in blood, which caused great anguish and uneasiness in the hearts of the Kuffar and the distress and hopelessness felt by them was obvious. As the rider was in a difficult position, the rider turned and then came back again with a daring attack. The rider struck and slew the Romans and caused great commotion in the ranks of the most brave of the Roman warriors. Thereafter the rider retreated from the Romans and then went out of sight but the anguish and distress was still felt by the Romans and the attack of the rider had evidently left a mark on the Romans.
Raafi` ibn `Umayrah Al Taa’ee and his soldiers thought that this was Khaalid as who could fight with more valour and courage than him? They were all sure of this until in front of them appeared Khaalid bn Waleed radiy Allah `anh. Raafi` radiy Allah `anh exclaimed loudly,
“Then who is this person who is giving his life in the way of Allah without fear and is killing the Kuffar in such numbers?” Khaalid radiy Allah `anh replied, “I swear by Allah, I myself am amazed by the bravery that this person exhibits.” Diraar (not ibn al Azwar) said, “O Ameer, this is surely a strange person who goes right in the midst of the roman army and from right and left kills the soldiers.” Then Khaalid radiy Allah `anh said, “O Muslims, come together and prepare for another attack.”
All the Muslims got their weapons ready and put their spears in place and straightened their rows. Khaalid radiy Allah `anh was in the vanguard. His intention was to make an attack on the Romans when suddenly the rider who was drenched in blood and whose horse was drowning in sweat, appeared going in the direction of the Roman army. If any Roman soldier got anywhere near the rider then the rider would fight with such bravery that resulted in the death of the Roman. The rider alone and single handedly was fighting with a number of the soldiers. Seeing this, Khaalid radiy Allah `anh and the rest of the soldiers launched an attack and saved the rider from the Roman soldiers who were attacking ‘him’ and this was how the Muslim army and the rider met.
The Muslim army looked at the rider pensively as if ’it’ was a red petal of a rose which was coloured in blood.
Khaalid radiy Allah `anh spoke loudly and said, “O person, you have g
iven your life in the way of Allah, and have vented out your anger on our enemies, may Allah give you your due reward. It would be better if you opened up your face so that we may know who you are.”
The rider took no notice of these words of Khaalid radiy Allah `anh and before he had even finished his statement was trying to get away from him. The Muslim army surrounded the rider and said, “O slave of Allah, the ameer of the Islamic army is talking to you and you are not taking heed and ignoring him and fleeing from him. With all due respect you should go to him and tell him your name and lineage so that your status can be raised.” But the rider gave no answer. When Khaalid radiy Allah `anh could get no information from this rider, he himself went close to the rider. He said, “It is with great remorse that all the Muslims and I are restless to know more about you and you are totally unconcerned. Who are you?”
At this the rider spoke.It was a female voice that spoke. “O Ameer, I was not intending to disobey you, when I did not answer you, but I was too shy to answer as I am of those who wear hijaab and live life in hijaab. However, I came here because of the pain in my heart and the grief which rose to the point that it brought me here.”
Khaalid radiy Allah `anh said,‘Who are you?’ She replied, “I am the sister of the imprisoned Diraar: Khawlah bint al Azwar. I was sitting amongst some women from the tribe of Mazhaj when I found out about the imprisonment of my brother, Diraar. Instantly, I got on to my horse and I reached this place and whatever I have done, you have seen it.”
Listening to this, Khaalid bn Waleed’s heart rose. He started weeping and said, ‘We should all do a joint attack and I am hopeful, Allah willing, that we will reach to where your brother is and we will free him, and we will surely be successful. Khawlah answered, “I too will partic
ipate in the attack, Insha’aAllah.”
Khalid ordered his army to chase the fleeing Roman Army, with Khawla leading the attack, looking in all directions for her brother, but in vain. By noontime, the victory was decisive. Most of the Roman soldiers were killed. Knowing that the prisoners had to be somewhere, Khalid sent Khawla with a number of knights to find them. After a hot chase, they managed to catch up with a Roman detachment that was taking the prisoners to their headquarters. Another fight took place, the Roman guards were all killed and the prisoners saved including Dhiraar.
In another battle in Ajnadin, Khawla’s spear broke, and her mare was killed, and she found herself a prisoner. But she was astonished to find that the Romans attacked the women’s camp and captured several of them. Their leader gave the prisoners to his commanders, and ordered Khawla to be moved into his tent. She was furious, and decided that to die is more honourable than living in disgrace.
She stood among the other women, and called them to fight for their freedom and honour or die. The others were enthusiastic to her plan. They took the tents’ poles and pegs and attacked the Roman guards, keeping a formation of a tight circle, as she told them. Khawla led the attack, killed the first guard with her pole, with the other women following her. According to Al Waqidi, they managed to kill 30 Roman knights, while Khawla was encouraging them with her verses, which in fact cause the blood to boil.
The Roman Leader w
as infuriated by what happened, and led a detachment of his knights against the women, though he tried first to tempt them with many promises. He told Khawla that he planned to marry her and make her the first lady of Damascus. But she answered him calmly and with great contempt:
“I wouldn’t even accept you to be a shepherd of my camels! How do you expect me to degrade myself and live with you? I swear that I’ll be the one to cut off your head for your insolence.”
In the ensuing battle, the ladies proved their mettle, kept their grounds for some time, encouraging each other and driving off the attackers with their long poles. Suddenly, Khalid and the army reached the battlefield. In the ensuing fight, over 3.000 Romans were killed. The women who took part in the fighting were proud to say that Khawla killed five knights, including the leader that insulted her.
In another battle (Yarmouk), the Muslims were overwhelmed by a much bigger Roman army. Many soldiers fled away, but not for long. Khawla and the other women met the fleeing soldiers, questioning their claims of bravery and forced them to return to the battle. The men were stunned when they saw Khawla drawing her sword and leading a counter-attack. They turned their horses and joined the battle, which was eventually won.
One of the knights present that day said: “Our women were much harsher with us than the Romans. We felt that going back to fight and die was much easier than facing the fury of our women later on”.
Khawla became a legend during her life and remains a legend till this day. She set an example to men and women alike that one should fight for what he or she believes in, and never accept defeat.
“Allah sent us to take servants from servitude to (other) servants to servitude of the Lord of servants, and from the narrowness of this world to the vastness of the hereafter, and from the tyranny of (all) religions to the justice of Islam.”
Rab`ee bin `Aamir to Rustom of Persia
Dear Brothers & Sisters I just wanna share an experience which I encountered a few days ago (Jan/Feb 2011), one of our palliative care patients whose carer used to always visit our pharmacy in order to collect medication for the last several months passed away from a malignant lung tumour, what didnt upset me was his death but the possibility that he died upon disbelief and his fate in the hereafter subhan’Allah (may Allah SWT make us amongst those who die with the shahadah and grant us a place in the highest level of jannah, ameen).
There is a famous hadith in which Allah SWT asks the angels to destroy a town which was corrupted in sin & transgression, and the angels reply back saying that amongst the population is a righteous servant, to which Allah Jallah Wa’ala replies back that to start the punishment with that servant because he refused to enjoin the good and prevent the evil. Brothers & Sisters, How many calamities have befallen mankind, one after the other in rapid succession, and all of these disasters have causes that are based in being far from our religion and from being immersed in disobedience, sin and neglect of our duties. Among the matters which Allah The Most High warned us of abandoning is the obligation of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil and calling to Allah. Indeed when we abandon this duty calamities will strike us and although we will beg and plead to Allah, He will not respond to our cries due to our leaving this duty as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“You must enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong or else Allah will send up you a calamity and you will make dua and your dua will not be accepted.”
And what greater evil is there in the sight of Allah that people should make shirk with Him and disbelieve in Him and reject the message that He sent for their benefit and guidance?
This is not only a matter solely for scholars and imams, but for everyone and the blessed Prophet saws said:
“Convey from me even if it one ayah.” So even if a person knows surah al-fatihah (the opening) then that makes them 7 times more over-qualified in calling to the way of Allah SWT.
Hasan al Basree once said: “This person is the beloved to Allah, the walee of Allah and is the most beloved to Him from amongst the people of the earth. He answered the call of Allah and invites the people to the very same call he responded to. He works righteous deeds within his response and declares, ‘Indeed I am from the Muslims.”
Always remember brothers & sisters that this life is short and the next eternal, and that is your deeds that Allah will weigh up for you in scales. So whoever’s deeds are heavy with good, they will have a happy end. So think about what will maximise you scale of good deeds, and make it heavy and hopefully gain the highest station in paradise insh’Allah.
Brothers & sisters let us not be so cocky that we think to ourselves “We are saved! we are saved! Eternal damnation for the fujjar!” because how can we possibly guarantee our safety from jahannam when we dont work to safeguard ourselves from it: subhna’Allah if the fruit of the cursed trees of hellfire were to be enter this world, it would cause the entire planet to be destroyed! And on the other hand the luxury of jannah is so much so that it contains things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind can comprehend.
This is ultimately the purpose of Discover Islam/Islamic Awareness Month (IAW/DIW) and any dawaah initiatives which is to direct people to the path to paradise and warn them of the pitfalls of jahannam. It is an oppurtunity to engage in the profession of the Prophets of Allah SWT (Peace be upon them all), Allah SWT didnt emphasise about the fasting or charity or seeking halal food or qiyam ul layl of Prophet Nuh (Peace be upon him) but He Jallah Waala spoke about the merits of the dawaah of Prophet Nuh (Peace be upon him).
Wallahi you never know who might be inspired to enter the deen subhan’Allah, imagine if some you who you spoke to and he/she embraced Islam either then or at a later stage and they were to become the next Yusuf Estes, Bilal Philips or Maryam Jameelah. Then everything they do, every sajdah they make, every time they pray, every duaa they supplicate and every person they call will be amongst your rightoeus deeds insh’Allah.
So bear in mind that when you read what the Prophet said “That whoever encourages someone to do a righteous deed then they will get the reward for that person doing that righteous deed without that persons reward being reduced in the least.”
So if you are the means for someone entering Islam, then no wonder it is better than all the best of the wealth of this world, since every time that person prays, fasts, reads Quran, gives charity, remembers Allah, then you get a share of the reward for that. So not fail dear reader to part of this call, and do not fail to contribute as much as you can to this blessed invitation, for according to the degree of you contribution so is the extent of your reward.
“Let there arise from amongst you a band that invites to all that is good, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, they are the ones to achieve success.”Al Imran 3:104
Lets remember the uncreated words of Allah SWT when He The Most High says: “Ye are the best of peoples raised up for mankind enjoining what is right forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah.” [Al-Imran 03:110]
I pray and hope that Allah guides us to be from those who are callers to this noble deen of Islam. Ameen.
Bitawfiq Wannajah Insh’Allah,
Jazakallahaire
I think it was many years ago when I first informed from a close contact of a book titled ”The 7 habits of highly effective people” authored by Dr. Steven Covey. With over 15 million copies sold in different languages, this universal and timeless publication highlights 7 principles that can maximise ones productivity and effectiveness in achieving goals by presenting a plethora of individual stalwart characteristics which can help one attain felicity.
Amongst the ideas under the context of self-mastery, Covery presents the idea of putting first things first in respect to planning and prioritising weekly chores based upon the premises of importance and to evaluate whether results of such engagements reflect upon personal inclined ethics with the effect of motivating one further towards their objectives.
Amongst the capacious challenges that a substantial amount of us face is our desire in trying to accomplish so much in so little time, and thus become so overwhelmed in our thoughts trying to establish exactly what we should be doing and what our obligations are at a given point in time. I mean everyone of us wants to build a grand mosque with multipurpose facilities, everyone wants to build an educational institition with a first class Islamic curriculum bringing forth the next Imam Abu Hanifah, everyone wants to liberate Masjid al-Aqsa, I am sure there must have been some part of our life where we wanted to be the next Shaykh-ul ibn Taimiyyah, we would all love to engage in dawaah, participate in jihad, teach others, learn ilm and so many other great acts of worship so that this can elevate our status to the highest level of jannah! I mean we all dream this kinda stuff at some stage of our life right 
?! This common contention is however that this cycle of thought leads us to solely conceptualise on what we cannot accomplish moreso than what we can accomplish. This can be well and good, and as Ibn al-Jawzi said, a person can be rewarded for his intentions more than for his actions. However, the purpose of having sincere intentions is to not only be constructive and but hopefully to extract something tangible from that intention (depending on the deed ofcourse).
Part of being generative is to have a methodical framework as to when to focus on what. For example, if your worship and intentions for specific efforts are organized and you properly place your focus where and when it should be, you’ll find yourself accomplishing much more as a Muslim, no matter if you’re a scholar who teaches, a caller to Allah who motivates, or a general worshipper who simply wants to get closer to your Lord.
Without emersing this entry into meticulous detail, I think getting a classical scholarly prespective per se is will hopefully shed some insight into looking at the process of being productive. Taking the translated extract from another website, Imam Ibn al-Qayyim had written in ‘Madarij as-Salikin’ (1/188):
“…They say that the best worship is to do what will please the Lord at every time in accordance with what that particular time calls for.
So, the best acts of worship during the time of Jihad is Jihad, even if this leads to abandoning certain rituals such as night prayer, fasting, etc. In fact, this applies even if you are to not pray a complete obligatory prayer as you would in times of safety and calm.
And the best thing to do when you have a guest, for example, is to see to his rights as a guest and to preoccupy yourself with that instead of the recommended rituals you would usually engage in at the time.
Such is also the case in fulfilling the rights of your wife and family.
The best thing to do during the early morning hours is to be preoccupied with prayer, Qur’an, supplication, remembrance of Allah, and asking His Forgiveness.
The best thing to do when teaching a student or ignorant person is to completely turn your attention towards teaching him.
The best thing to do during the call to prayer is to leave whatever rituals you are engaged in and to occupy yourself with repeating after the one making the call.
The best thing to do during the five prayers is to try your best in carrying them out in the best possible manner and to rush to perform them right away, and to go out to the mosque – even if it is far – is better.
The best thing to do when someone needs help physically or financially is to busy yourself with helping that person, relieving his distress, and to place this as a priority over your private worship that you’d usually be engaged in.
The best thing to do when reciting the Qur’an is to have your heart and mind present in order to reflect over and understand it as if Allah is personally addressing you with it. So, to have your heart present to understand and reflect over it and to have the zeal to implement its commands is greater than the attentiveness of the heart of one who has received a message from the ruler to that message.
The best thing to do when standing at ‘Arafah is to exert yourself in being humble before Allah, supplicating, and remembering Him instead of fasting.
The best thing to do during the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah is to increase in worship, especially saying ‘Allahu Akbar,’ ‘La ilaha illa Allah,’ and ‘al-hamdu lil-Lah.’ This is better here than the Jihad that is not an individual obligation.
The best thing to do during the last ten nights of Ramadan is to stay in the mosque and to seclude yourself in it without mixing with others and being distracted by them. This is to the point that it is better than teaching them and practicing the Qur’an with them according to many of the scholars.
The best thing to do when you have a brother who is sick or dying is to visit him, attend his funeral, and to prefer this over your private worship or social activities.
And the best thing to do when a disaster befalls you or people hurt you is to fulfill the obligation of having patience while continuing to interact with them and not running from them, since the believer who mixes with people and is patient despite their harm to him is better than the believer who doesn’t mix with them and isn’t harmed by them.
And the best thing you can interact with them in is whatever is good, and this is better than to seclude yourself from them in such a case. As for bad
things, it is better to seclude yourself from them in such a case. However, if you know that mixing with in this case will help remove or reduce the bad, it is better to mix with them than to abandon them.
So, the best thing to do in every time and situation is whatever will please Allah at that particular time and situation and to focus on the foremost obligation at that particular time and whatever it necessitates and requires…”
So, while Ibn al-Qayyim’s advice above illustrates very distinct acts of worship, you hopefully get the point. It echoes amongst the 7 habit principles ie having a ”be proactive” attitude which Ibn Qayyim is postulating here to reinforce the point that to look to what’s in front of you and what needs to be done then and there, as this is the best way to please Allah in that particular situation. If we employ such a characteristic in our regular day to day activities in general and your service to Allah and Islam in particular, we will find that you’ll get much more out of our daily routine. May Allah The Most-High bless us with the tawfiq in making every second of our life in His servitude, to forgive us for our short comings and to grant us the best in both this world and the hereafter!
The following stories involve an apple, a pomegranate, and milk. This was originally sent via email by a former President of FOSIS UK, I have just edited it slightly. No – it’s not a recipe for some funky milkshake; although that would taste awesome ! But rather it’s the right cocktail needed (complememted with dua’a) for attaining the countenance of Allah The Ultimate Bestower in your life and in the future generations insh’Allah.
This is an excellent article mash’Allah! I just had to re-post this up from a fellow blogger (may Allah Al Wahhab bless them)! If Muslims today (Both Men & Women) were to be visionary like the mothers of Imam Ahmad or Imam Malik and supportive like the wife of ibn Hajar, then masjid al aqsa would be liberated in no time! May Allah An-Naseer bless us with victory!
Nothing can give more joy to a woman than the birth of a child. All the pain and strain disappear at the first sight of the baby. Tiny yawns and sleepy sighs, a brand new life, a bundle of joy for all the family! You would think that this is true whether the newborn is a baby girl or boy. Unfortunately, in every family this is not always the case.
Although most of us are fortunate enough to have never been discriminated against for being girls, whose parents have loved us unconditionally, whose husbands respect us, and children value us, there are people out there who still perceive the girl no more than a burden and often shame is expected and felt by those women who do not successfully give birth to a boy.
Though discrimination against women is considered a universal phenomenon, this is more marked in the Asian region. In countries where boy children are still valued economically and socially above girls, such as India and China, female infanticide and sex selective abortion has been practiced as a brutal method of family planning. In these Third World countries male children are preferred over female because boys provide more labour, whereas girls require a dowry. Outright, boys bring the dowry in, while girls take one out, putting an economic burden on the family.
Some surveys in the United States revealed a clear preference for masculine babies as the first child. According to a famous anecdote, when Mohammed Ali, the ex-world boxing champion was asked how many children he had, he answered, “one boy and seven errors.” For centuries, sayings and habits worldwide have spread these prejudices. In China the implementation of the “one child per couple” policy in 1978 left many Chinese parents unwilling to invest their one opportunity for parenthood on a daughter. Female babies have been described as “worms in the rice” and some experts contend that within a few years 90 million Chinese men will be unable to find wives. In one hospital an investigation of 700 individuals sought prenatal sex determination. Of these foetuses, 250 were determined to be male and 450 female.While all of the male foetuses were kept to term, 430 of the 450 female foetuses were aborted. Subhanallah!
Typical also is India, where despite the government outlawing prenatal sex determination tests in 1994, evidence suggests that female infanticide is rife. A study carried out in 1995 illustrates that the 1994 law is widely flouted. In a sample of 700 pregnant women, only 4% of those expecting a girl decided to bring the pregnanc
y to term. The small number of foetuses kept to term would also be subject to discrimination on the basis of their sex at the early stages of their life and through adulthood. This skewed sex ratio may have enormous implications for the future of these countries. This is a huge cause for concern especially when these countries are home to a large population of Muslims.
But what is the stance in Britain. Under the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) rules, abortions also cannot be granted on the grounds that the foetus is the wrong gender. Although medically assisted sex selection is illegal in this country, there is nothing to prevent women flying overseas, to countries where the practice is not illegal to have a procedure undertaken which will tell them the sex of their baby. A recent article in a British newspaper, shows how some British couples have visited the clinic of a US based Scientist where the sex of embryos can be screened to ensure couples have a child of the desired sex. The article also mentions“that it is privately acknowledged by abortion specialists in Britain that women unhappy with the sex of their unborn child are being granted terminations for “social reasons”.
The evidence for women going overseas was provided by another British newspaper recently, which found that pregnant British Asian women barred by the NHS after numerous abortions, were going to India for gender defining ultrasounds, to ensure they have a male child. With many clinics refusing to declare the sex of unborn babies in the UK, particularly in Asian communities, Asian women flying abroad, where it costs little and the procedure is over in an hour is on the increase. A gender rights expert from New Delhi, reported that “aborting healthy baby girls was well documented among British Asians, and multiple abortions in Britain had become increasingly common. The desire for boys transcends caste, social, educational and economic status. One in seven girls in Delhi is killed in the womb and the situation goes on in Britain, where the belief systems are identical.”
The question is, is this happening amongst the muslim population and if yes, Why? Why is this, when gender equality is an intrinsic part of Islamic belief and when time and time again the importance of the woman and her equal if not high status to man is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Practices such as female infanticide and forced marria
ges show how Islamic teachings can be superseded by local culture, tradition and customs.
Certainly the status of the woman in the pre-Islamic era began as inferior at the time of birth when unwanted baby girls were buried alive. The history of human civilisation testifies that the woman was treated harshly, degraded and was denied basic human dignity.
The 7th century dawn of Islam ushered in a new era of morality and divine law, improving the status of the woman and elevating their position in both family and society. Through the teachings of Islam, beloved Prophet Muhammad may Allah bless him and grant him peace, put a swift and resounding end to this evil practice. Not only did he (peace be upon him) severely discourage and condemn this act but he also used to teach them to respect and cherish their daughters and mothers as partners and sources of salvation for the men of their family. Islam gave women equal rights, rights that the West fails to give even today. According to Islam, men and women have the same religious and moral duties and responsibilities. Each human being shall face the consequences of his or her deeds. In the interpretation Allah (swt) says in the meaning of the Quran:
“And their Lord responded to them (saying): Never will I allow to be lost the work of (any) worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another…” [Quran, 3:195.]
Women’s full and equal humanity is attested to on the final judgement day. The Qur’an makes it clear that both men and women are called upon by God to uphold God’s commandments, and that both men and women are accountable to God for their righteousness (Surah 3:Al-Imran: 195: Surah 4:An-Nisa’:124: Surah 9:At-Taubah:71-72).
Despite the social acceptance of female infanticide among some Arabian tribes, the Qur’an forbade this custom, and considered it a crime like any other murder.
“And when the girl (who was) buried alive is asked, for what sin she was killed” [Quran,81:8-9.]
The Quran went further to rebuke the unwelcoming attitude of some parents upon hearing the news of the birth of a baby girl, instead of a baby boy. Allah SWT has said in the interpretation of the meaning of the Quran:
“And when one of them is informed of (the birth of) a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief. He hides himself from the people because of the ill of which he has been informed. Should he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the ground? Certainly, evil is what they decide.” [Quran 16:58-59.]
Far from saving the girl’s life so that she may later suffer injustice and inequality, Islam requires kind and just treatment for her.
Among the sayings of
the Prophet PBUH in this regard are the following hadith: “Whosoever supports three daughters until they mature, he and I will come on the Day of Judgment as this (and he pointed with his fingers held together).” [Musnad, Imam Ahmad]
The Prophet (PBUH) further said: “Whosoever has a daughter and does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, Allah will enter him into Paradise.” [Ahmad]
Islam considered kindness to parents next to the worship of God. Mothers in Islam are highly honoured. Islam recommends treating them in the best way.
A man came to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and said, “O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?” The Prophet (PBUH) said: {Your mother.} The man said, “Then who?” The Prophet (PBUH) said: {Then your mother.} The man further asked, “Then who?” The Prophet (PBUH) said: {Then your mother.} The man asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet (PBUH) said: {Then your father.}” [Al-Bukhari.]
Furthermore, marriage in Islam is based on mutual peace, love, and compassion, and not just the mere satisfying of human sexual desire. Among the most impressive verses in the interpretation of the meaning of the Quran about marriage is the following:
“And of His signs is: that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” [Quran, 30:21.]
Islam encourages the husband to treat his wife well, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The best among you are those who are best to their wives.” [Tirmidhi, Sahih.]
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The best of you is the best to his family and I am the best among you to my family.” [Tirmidhi, Sahih.]
He (PBUH) also told the Muslims: “Fear Allah in respect of women.” And: “The best of you are they who behave best to their wives.” [Tirmidhi, Sahih.]
Indeed the Qur’an goes beyond insisting that individual women and men are to be treated identically. Instead it insists that men and women recognize their interconnectedness and interdependence. The Qur’an affirms that men and women in the umma are members and protectors of each other (Surah 3:Al- Imran:195; Surah 9:At-Tawbah: 71). The Qur’an’s vision of the relationship between men and women within society is therefore neither hierarchical nor adversarial but one of equality and mutuality.
Subhan’Allah this is truly what a productive Muslim is mash’Allah! Always inspiring to read the stories of Ibn Taymiyyah and the great scholars of this deen that really gave it 110% fisabillah! Well worth a quick read because it is both short and simply remarkable in how he utelised his time very efficiently subhan’Allah! BTW he didnt have a family of his own, partly due to the fact that he was thrown in jail several times by the enemies of the truth… Also reminds those who truly reflect and ponder, the beautiful name of Allah The Most-High, Al-Qawi (The Supremely-Strong)…..Laillahaillah
al-Imam al-Bazzar wrote a long, first hand account of the life of Ibn Taymiyyah, who was his personal friend and companion. The book is called‘al-A’lam al-’Aliyyah fi Manaqib Ibn Taymiyyah,’ and this is a very, very small glimpse from it:
“During the nights, he would separate himself from everybody, secluding himself with his Lord, strictly maintaining his recitation of the MightyQur’an, and repeating the various types of daily and nightly worship.
When the night was over, he would rejoin the people for the Fajr prayer, praying the optional prayer before meeting them. When he would begin the prayer, your heart would want to fly from its place just from the way in which he would make takbirat al-ihram. When he would begin the prayer, his limbs would shake, moving him left and right. When he would recite, he would elongate his recitation, just as was authentically reported in regards to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah. His bowing and prostration, as well as his coming up from them, are from the most complete of what has ever been reported in regards to the obligatory prayer. And he would severely lighten his sitting for the first tash
ahhud, and would say the first taslim out loud, to the point that everyone who was present would hear it…
…And I came to know that it was his habit that nobody would speak to him unless absolutely necessary after the morning prayer. He would remain in a state of dhikr of Allah, listening to himself. Sometimes, he would let those sitting next to him listen to his dhikr, all the while constantly turning his eyesight to the sky. He would remain in such a state until the Sun rose, and the time in which prayer is forbidden had passed.
During my stay in Damascus with him, I would spend some of the day and most of the night with him. He would draw me near to him, sitting me beside him. I would hear what he would recite and repeat, and I saw that he would repeat ‘al-Fatihah’ over and over again, and would spend all of his time between Fajr and sunrise doing this.
So, I kept thinking to myself, wondering: why would he recite this specific chapter of the Qur’an in exclusion to the others? Eventually, it became clear to me – and Allah Knows best – that his intention in doing so was to combine with his recitation between what was narrated in the ahadith and what was discussed by the scholars, in regards to whether the narratedadhkar should take precedence over recitation of the Qur’an, or vice versa. So, he saw that in repeating ‘al-Fatihah,’ he could combine between both opinions, and reap the benefits of both actions, and this was from his strength in logic and depth of insight.
After this, he would pray D
uha, and if he wanted to hear Hadith in another place, he would rush to that place with whoever was with him at the time.
It was rare that any intelligent person would see him and not come and kiss his hands. Even the busiest of businessmen would walk from what they were doing to greet him and seek his blessings. With all of this, he would give everyone of them their share of time, greetings, etc.
If he saw any evil in the street, he would work to remove it, and if he heard of a funeral taking place, he would rush to pray in it, or would apologize for missing it. Sometimes, he would go to the grave of the deceased after he finished listening to Hadith and pray over it (Asking Allah The Most Merciful to forgive the deceased et al).
Afterwards, he would return to his mosque, where he would remain either giving fatawa to the people or fulfilling their needs, until it was time to pray Dhuhr in congregation. He would spend the rest of the day in such a manner.
His classes were general for the old, the young, the wealthy, the poor, the free, the slave, males, and females. He appealed to everyone that would pass by him of the people, and everyone of them would feel that Ibn Taymiyyah was treating them better than he was treating anyone else present [as was the great sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)].
He would then pray Maghrib, and would follow it up with as much optional prayer as Allah made possible. I, or someone else, would then read his writings to him, and he would benefit us with various points and notes. We would do this until we prayed ‘Isha’, after which we would continue as we were before, delving into the various fields of knowledge. We would do this until much of the night had passed. During this entire time – night and day – Ibn 
Taymiyyah would constantly remember Allah, mention His Oneness, and seek His forgiveness.
And he would constantly raise his eyesight to the sky, and would not stop doing this, as if he saw something there that kept his eyesight hooked. He would do this for as long as I was staying with him.
So, Subhan Allah! How short were these days! If only they were longer! By Allah, until this day, there has never been a time in my life that is more beloved to me than the time I spent with him, and I was never seen in a better state than I was at that time, and this was for no other reason than the barakah of the Shaykh, may Allah be Pleased with him.
Every week, he would visit the sick, especially those at the hospital.
I have been informed by more than one person – whose trustworthiness I do not doubt – that the entire life of the Shaykh was spent in the way that I witnessed (and described above). So, what worship, and what jihad is better than this?”
Subhan’Allah I was just browsing a website and there was a section that had some amazing stories which reminded me of the beautiful name of Allah Jallah Wa’ala, Al-Haqq (The Truth). The following passages are glimpses of the lifes of some of the most influential people in the history of Islam who lived in the name of Al-Haqq: the article ends with a glimmer of one of the greatest scholars of our blessed ummah Imam Sufyan at-thawri who was titled the amir al mumineen of hadith and the most knowledgeable man of his time (this was during the time of Imam Abu Hanifah who was his associate Mash’Allah!), these stories can aid us overcoming the fear of people and to encourage us to speak the truth when it needs to be said in light of the words of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) in ‘as-Silsilah as-Sahihah’ (168):
“A man should not let his intimidation by people prevent him from speaking the truth if he knows it, witnesses it, or hears it.”
Fadlullah al-Jilani said in ‘Fadlillah as-Samad fi Tawdih al-Adab al-Mufrad’(2/45):
“If it is said that the one who has haya’ is shy to speak the truth, causing him to leave off commanding the good and forbidding the bad, and that hishaya’ leads him to shortcomings in fulfilling some obligations, as is normally the case, I say that this is not true haya’. Rather, it is incompetence and weakness and subjugation, and it is referred to as haya’simply by way of likeness and simile. True haya’ is only when the thing he has haya’ of doing is truly bad, and there is no consideration for what the people consider to be bad when it is in fact something good or vice versa…And it is established that the Prophet had more haya’ than a virgin in the innermost portion of her home, and he is an example for us in this. With this, there was nothing to prevent his anger if the limits of Allah were violated.”
Story 1 – Standing up to a companion
al-Albani mentioned in ‘Adab az-Zifaf’ that when Salim bin ‘Abdillah got married and invited people to the wedding, and Abu Ayyub was one of those invited. They had covered the walls of their home with green rugs. Abu Ayyub came and looked around to see the house’s walls covered in green sheets and said: “O ‘Abdullah! You cover the walls with rugs?” Salim’s father replied: “The women have overpowered us, Abu Ayyub!” So, Abu Ayyub said: “You were the last person who I feared would be overpowered by women! I will not eat from your food or enter your homes!” And he left.
(This is because many scholars considered it disliked or even prohibited to cover walls with rugs, considering it to be a form of extravagance.)
Story 2 – Standing up to a King
In ‘Tarikh Baghdad’ (11/361), it is related that al-Ma’mun was sitting one day with some traders to chat with them regarding some goods they had to sell. Suddenly, he was reminded of some business he had to tend to, and got up to leave. Everyone else in the room got up except for Ibn al-Ja’d, as he stayed where he was sitting. So, al-Ma’mun looked at him in anger and said: “Why didn’t you get up like your friends did?” He replied: “Out of respect for the hadith that was narrated to us from the Prophet.” He asked: “And what is it?” ‘Ali bin al-Ja’d replied: “I heard Mubarak bin Fudalah say that he heard from al-Hasan that the Messenger of Allah said:“Whoever loves that the people stand up for him should prepare his seat in Hell.”” So, al-Ma’mun stood and pondered over the hadith, then raised his head and said: “Nobody should purchase anything except from this man,” and that day, he sold 30,000 dinars worth of goods.
Story 3 – Standing up to a tyrant
al-Ghazzali related in ‘Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din’ (5/45) that Hattit az-Zayyat went to al-Hajjaj, and when he entered, al-Hajjaj said to him: “You are Hattit?” He answered: “Yes. Ask me what you want, as I have made a pact with Allah at the Maqam of Ibrahim that I would do three things: i) I will speak the truth if I am asked a question, ii) I will remain patient if I am tested, and iii) I will be thankful if I am spared.” So, al-Hajjaj said to him: “ًWhat do you think of me?” Hattit replied: “You are from the enemies of Allah on Earth. You violate honor and kill based on suspicion.” al-Hajjaj then asked him: “ًWhat do you say about ‘Abd al-Malik bin Marwan?” Hattit replied: “He is worse than you, and you are simply one of his many mistakes.” al-Hajjaj then ordered that he be tortured, and he was then beaten with sticks and had his flesh stretched out with them until it was torn. His torturers didn’t hear him say anything, and they said to al-Hajjaj: “He is near death!” So, al-Hajjaj said: “Let him go and throw him out into the marketplace.” So, Ja’far (a friend of his) went to Hattit and said: “Hattit, do you want me to get you anything?” He said: “A drink of water.” So, the water was brought to him and he died, and he was only eighteen years old.
Story 4 – Standing up for prayer
adh-Dhahabi related in ‘Siyar A’lam an-Nubala” (9/204) that Abd ar-Rahman bin Rustah asked ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi that if a man had just gotten married and was having relations with his wife on the first night, was he allowed to leave off the congregational prayer for a few days? Ibn Mahdi replied: “No, not a single prayer.” Later, Ibn Mahdi himself had a daughter who had just gotten married. So, the morning after the wedding, he made the call to prayer and walked to her door. He told the servant to tell those inside to come out for the prayer. The women and servants all came out startled, saying: “Subhan Allah! What is wrong?!” He said: “I will not leave until you all come out to the prayer.” So, they all came out, and he purposely sent them to a mosque that was out of the way.
Story 5 – Standing up to a guest
In as-Sudays’s biography of Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shinqiti (p. 204-205)
, it is related that a man backbit someone in ash-Shinqiti’s presence. So, he forbade him from this, and the backbiter said: “I am the one speaking, not you.” So, the Shaykh replied: “I am carrying ‘al-Baqarah’ in my chest. Either politely be quiet or get out.”
Story 6 – Standing up to yourself
adh-Dhahabi also related in ‘as-Siyar’ (7/184) that Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “Whenever I see something that I should speak up about and fail to do so, I urinate blood.”
He also related in ‘as-Siyar’ (7/196) that Shuja’ bin Walid said: “I performed the Hajj with Sufyan, and he would come and go with his tongue never ceasing to command the good and forbid the evil.”
He also related (7/197) that when al-Mahdi came into power, he sent for Sufyan. When Sufyan entered, al-Mahdi removed his ring and threw it at Sufyan and said: “O Aba ‘Abdillah, this is my ring. Work for this nation 
according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah.” So, Sufyan took the ring and said: “Do you permit me to speak, O Commander of the Believers? Can I speak with your promise not to harm me?” He said: “Yes.” So, Sufyan said: “Do not send for me again until I come to you myself, and do not give me anything unless I ask you for something.” So, al-Mahdi become enraged and wanted to kill him, but his assistant reminded him that he had promised not to harm Sufyan. So, Sufyan was kicked out of the palace and his companions asked him: “What made you refuse? He only asked you to work according to the Qur’an and Sunnah!” So, Sufyan belittled their intellects due to their missing the point and he ran away as a fugitive to al-Basrah.
al-Mahdi later said (7/201): “I was unable to look at Sufyan out of haya’and intimidation from him.”
He also related (7/199) that Sufyan went to Abu Ja’far when they were at Mina and said to him: “Fear Allah! You are in this position and have this power due to the swords of the
Muhajirin and Ansar, and their sons are dying of hunger! ‘Umar made the Hajj and spent only fifteen dinars, and he used to shade himself under the trees!” So, Abu Ja’far said: “Do you want me to be like you?” Sufyan said: “No. Just be below what you are and above what I am.” Abu Ja’far said: “Get out.”
He also related (7/209) that Yahya bin ‘Abd al-Malik bin Abi Ghaybah said: “I never saw anyone with a more confrontational face for the sake of Allah than Sufyan.”
It was also related from Ibn Abi Hatim that there was a blind man who used to sit with Sufyan. When it was Ramadan, the man would go lead the people in prayer, and they would give him clothes and gifts as a reward for this. So, Sufyan said: “On the Day of Resurrection, the people of the Qur’an will come with their Qur’an, and it will be said to the likes of this person: ‘You have already received your reward previously.’” So, the man said to him: “O Aba ‘Abdillah, you say this while I am sitting right next to you?” Sufyan replied: “I fear that it will be said to me on the Day of Resurrection that you were sitting next to me and I did not advise you.”
This is an outstanding academic piece compiled by Brother Adnan Rashid (HafidUllah) with respect to the colloquial question in connatation to the amplification of the Islamic sovereignty after the bereavement of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and prememinently under the tutelege of the meritoriously guided Chaliphs and the Ummayad Dynasty. Very articulate with a strong historical evidence base. Taken from The Great Debates (iERA) website which can be found by clicking here!
‘What is there now, I ask of delight in this world? Everywhere we observe strife; fields are depopulated, the land has returned to solitude…And yet the blows of Divine justice have no end, because among the blows those guilty of evil acts are not corrected…’ [1]
These are the words of Pope Gregory the Great (c. 594) who was a contemporary of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). He was clearly wishing for divine justice to emerge in order to correct the evildoers i.e. the Lombard tyrants in this case. The Divine intervention was at hand:
“And We have sent you (O Muhammad [SA]) not but as a mercy to mankind”[2]
And mercy he was. The Messenger of Allah received the above revelation not long after the disturbing plea of the Pope and this revelation was a signal for the Prophet to initiate a war against terror and tyranny. Islam emerged as a power and in a very short period of time took over large portions of land from the surrounding establishments. Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE and exactly a century later in 732 CE the Muslims had reached as far as Southern France and Northern China. This was the largest and the fastest expansion the world had ever known and it was made possible only by the justice and mercy the Muslims had to offer, as will be amply demonstrated in the following paragraphs.
It may be puzzling to some who may question how the Muslims were able to conquer such a large portion of land so rapidly without much difficulty? A Muslim believer would give an easy and simple answer to this question by quoting the Qur’an:
“Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that he will certainly grant them succession (to the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them authority to practise their religion which he has chosen for them(Islam).”[3]
History testifies that this is precisely what occurred and here one must note that the Arabs, at the time, were the least able people to achieve this, primarily, due to the lack of military equipment and resources. Carole Hillenbrand, a leading Arabist/historian from the University of Edinburgh, confirms this:
‘Much ink has been spilt on the phenomenon of the Islamic conquest, but few firm conclusions can be drawn…It seems unlikely that the Arabs possessed military superiority over their opponents. Certainly, they had no secret weapon, no new techniques. Indeed, in some military spheres they were inexperienced; they allegedly learned siege warfare, for example, from the Persians. They were also unfamiliar with how to fight naval engagements.’[4]
Even the contemporary Christian writers could not offer a reasonable explanation and attributed this rapid expansion of the Islamic governance to Divine intervention. John Bar Penkaye (690 CE), a contemporary of the early Islamic conquest, had this to say:
‘We should not think of the advent (of the children of Hagar) as something ordinary, but as due to divine working. Before calling them, (God) had prepared them beforehand to hold Christians in honour; thus they also had a special commandment from God concerning our monastic station, that they should hold it in honour. Now when these people came, at God’s command, and took over as it were both kingdoms, not with any war or battle, but in a menial fashion, such as when a brand is rescued out of the fire, not using weapons of war or human means, God put victory into their hands in such a way that the words written them might be fulfilled, namely, “One man chased a thousand and two routed ten thousand.” How otherwise, could naked men, riding without armour or shield, have been able to win, apart from divine aid, God having called them from the ends of the earth so as to destroy, by them “a sinful kingdom” and to bring low, through them, the proud spirit of the Persians.’[5]
Byzantines and the Persians were utterly uprooted by these ill-equipped nomads. European scholarship is still perplexed about the causes that led to the early Islamic conquest. To a sceptical historian or a conditioned rationalist, Divine intervention could never be entertained as a logical or even a scientific hypothesis. Such people require a historical justification, which is based upon political and socio-economic factors.
In light of this there is a very reasonable explanation: The Muslims, when expanding, treated the non-Muslim inhabitants of vanquished nations with a previously uncharted level of tolerance, which in consequence encouraged the non-Muslim societies to embrace the approaching armies with open arms. Professor Thomas Walker Arnold gives an interesting account of such an occurrence. He states:
‘When the Muslim army reached the valley of the Jordan and Abu Ubaydah pitched his camp at Fihl, the Christian inhabitants of the country wrote to the Arabs, saying: “O Muslims, we prefer you to the Byzantines, though they are of our own faith, because you keep better faith with us and are more merciful to us and refrain from doing us injustice and your rule over us is better than theirs, for they have robbed us of our goods and our homes.” The people of Emessa closed the gates of their city against the army of Heraclius and told the Muslims that they preferred their government and justice to the injustice and oppression of the Greeks…The fear of religious compulsion on the part of the heretical emperor made the promise of Muslim toleration appear more attractive than the connection with the Roman Empire and a Christian government…’[6]
Perhaps, it was these facts, which persuaded Thomas Arnold to conclude:
‘Of forced conversion or anything like persecution in the early days of the Arab conquest, we hear nothing. Indeed, it was probably in a great measure their tolerant attitude towards the Christian religion that facilitated their rapid acquisition of the country.’[7]
So the Muslims were in fact seen as liberators from the Roman/Byzantine tyranny. As far as the Syrian Christians were concerned, the Muslims were carrying out a noble war on terror.
Dionysius of Tel-Mahre, a Jacobite (or a Syrian Orthodox Christian) patriarch from 818 to 845 CE, also gave some reasons of this preference of the Muslims over Romans by the people of Syria. He stated in his chronicle, which covers the period from 582 to 842 CE, that Heraclius mustered 300,000 troops from Armenia, Syria and the Roman heartlands to expel the Muslims out of Syria. Muslims decided to withdraw to reform their war strategy. However, whilst withdrawing, the Muslims decided, out of fairness, to refund the money, which they had taken as tribute from the Syrian Christians to protect them from any form of oppression:
‘Abu Ubaydah, whom Umar had put in command of the Arabs, ordered Habib b. Maslama to return to the Emesenes the tribute which he had exacted from them with this message: “We are both bound by our mutual oaths. Now we are going to do battle with the Romans. If we return, this tribute is ours; but if we
are defeated and do not return, we are absolved of our oaths.” So they left Emessa for Damascus; and the emir Abu Ubaydah ordered Saeed b. Kulthum to return the tribute to the Damascenes likewise…To them he said: “ If we return victorious we shall take it back. But if we are defeated and prove powerless to save you from the Romans, here is your tribute, keep it. We for our part shall be absolved of the oaths which we have sworn to you.”’[8]
One must note that this was taking place in 7th century Syria where plunder, robbery and injustice were a common occurrence and what is mentioned above is quoted from a mid 9th century Christian source (which testifies that the Muslims did not abuse power and they did not betray the trust Christians bestowed upon them). Thomas Arnold adds, from an Islamic source (Abu Yusuf, Kitabul Khiraj [The Book of Taxes]), that
‘In accordance with this order, enormous sums were paid back out of the state treasury, and the Christians called down blessings on the heads of the Muslims, saying, “May God give you rule over us again and make you victorious over the Romans; had it been they, they would not have given us back anything, but would have taken all that remained with us”’[9]
It would be fair to assert here that those Muslims acted in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an:
‘Verily, Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching, which He gives you! Truly, Allah is ever all- Hearer, all-Seer.’[10]
Dionysius of Tel-Mahre confirms the accuracy of Abu Yusuf:
‘So the Arabs left Damascus and pitched camp by the river Yarmuk. As the Romans marched towards the Arab camp every city and village on their way which had surrendered to the Arabs shouted threats at them. As for crimes the Romans committed on their passage, they are unspeakable, and
their unseemliness ought not even to be brought to mind…The Arabs returned, elated with their great victory, to Damascus; and the Damascenes greeted them outside the city and welcomed them joyfully in, and all treaties and assurances were reaffirmed. ’[11]
It is very clear from Dionysius’ testimony that the Romans were extremely oppressive towards the non-Chalcedonian Christian population of Syria, which caused this population to prefer the Muslim tolerance over the Byzantine terror. Muslims, in most, cases treated the minor Christian sects of Syria with maximum justice and sympathy, which enabled all parties to live in peace for the first time for a long time. For most of the Jacobite and Nestorian Christians in Syria, Muslim arrival was a God sent retribution against the Byzantine terrorist establishment.
The same seems to have taken place in Egypt where, according to Dionysius, the Coptic Patriarch submitted Egypt voluntarily to the Muslims:
‘We have found in the tales and stories of Egyptians that Benjamin, the Patriarch of the Orthodox in Egypt at the time, delivered the country to the Arab general Amr b. al-As out of antipathy, that is enmity, towards Cyrus, the Chalcedonian (Byzantine) Patriarch in Egypt.’[12]
This enmity, however, was due to the persecution of the Orthodox Church in Egypt at the hands of the Byzantine Church. John of Nikiou (690 CE), who was a Coptic bishop in Nikiu (Egypt), confirmed the testimony of Dionysius:
‘When Muslims saw the weakness of the Romans and the hostility of the people to the emperor Heraclius because of the persecution wherewith he had visited all the land of Egypt in regard to the orthodox faith at the instigation of Cyrus the Chalcedonian Patriarch [in office 631/2-41], they became bolder and stronger in the war…And people began to help the Muslims.’[13]
And in some cases the Egyptians refused to fight the Muslims at all [14]. One must keep in mind that these are contemporary Christian sources testifying that the Muslims were actually being helped by the Egyptian Orthodox Coptic Christians to put the Chalcedonian Byzantine Christian persecution to rest. Alfred J. Butler, a leading authority on the history of Egypt, believed that the Muslim arrival benefited both Christian factions by enabling them to live in peace together under the Islamic protection:
‘After all that the Copts had suffered at the hands of the Romans and the Patriarch Cyrus, it would not have been unnatural if they had desired to retaliate upon the Melkites [the Romans]. But any such design, if they cherished it, was sternly discountenanced by ‘Amr, [the Muslim conqueror of Egypt] whose government was wisely tolerant but perfectly impartial between the two forms of religion. Many facts might be cited in proof of this contention…So that the two forms of Christianity must be imagined as subsisting side by side under the equal protection of the conquerors.’[15]
It is evident from the testimonies cited above that the Muslims came as a mercy for the wider Egyptian population. The Coptic Christians in Egypt were also a target for the Byzantine terror and it was this terror which caused the Copts to join the Muslims against their co-religionists. ‘Amr bin al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) had established a peaceful abode for all parties and this he did by implementing the Shariah Law in Egypt. Thus the real operation “Enduring Freedom” was accomplished successfully in the land of Pharaohs.
Muslims landed in Spain in 711 CE and many sources testify that they were welcomed by the population, as their reputation preceded them. This was due to the severe persecution afflicted upon certain communities by the Visigothic Kings. Under these kings’ rule (following their conversion to Catholicism from Arianism), the Jewish community, in particular, was severely oppressed. The Catholic hierarchy in Spain held many ecumenical councils to solve political and religious disputes and in these councils (many held in Toledo), severe edicts were issued against the J
ews of Spain. One of the clauses in the text of the proceedings of the 4th Council of Toledo (633 CE) states,
‘We decree that the sons and daughters of the Jews should be separated from the company of their parents in order that they should not become further entangled in their deviation, and entrusted either to monasteries or to Christian, God fearing men and women, in order that they should learn from their way of life to venerate the faith and, educated on better things, progress in their morals as well as their faith.’[16]
Zion Zohar, an American Jewish historian, confirms the Jewish appreciation of the Muslim arrival in this way:
‘Thus, when Muslims crossed the straits of Gibraltar from North Africa in 711 CE and invaded the Iberian Peninsula, Jews welcomed them as liberators from Christian Persecution’. [17]
And what did this liberty bring for the Jews in the subsequent centuries? Was this liberty similar to the one the U.S government has delivered to the Iraqis, resulting in mass murder and abuse of prisoners, or was it a freedom that was deeply ingrained in Islamic values such as justice and tolerance? Zion Zohar has an answer:
‘Born during this era of Islamic rule, the famous Golden Age of Spanish Jewry (circa 900-1200) produced such luminaries as: statesman and diplomat Hasdai ibn Shaprut, vizier and army commander Shmuel ha-Nagid, poet-philosophers Solomon Ibn Gabriol and Judah Halevi, and at the apex of them all, Moses Ben Maimon, also known among the Spaniards as Maimonides [who is Known as the second Moses among the Jews].’[18]
Thus the Jews were treated with fairness and Justice in Islamic Spain unlike the rest of Europe and it was this fair treatment which produced the famous Golden Age for the House of Jacob, which they appreciate to this day.
Heinrich Graetz, a 19th century Jewish historian expressed similar sentiments regarding Muslims in Spain:
‘It was in these favourable circumstances that the Spanish Jews came under the rule of Mahometans, as whose allies they esteemed themselves the equals of their co-religionists in Babylonia and Persia. They were kindly treated, obtained religious liberty, of which they had so long been deprived, were permitted to exercise jurisdiction over their co-religionists, and were only obliged, like the conquered Christians, to pay poll tax (Dsimma)’[19]…Jewish Spain became “the place of civilization and of spiritual activity- a garden of fragrant, joyous, and happy poetry, as well as the seat of earnest research and clear thought.” Like the Arabian Christians (the Christians who lived amongst the Mahometans) the Jews made themselves acquainted with the language and literature of their conquerors, and often got precedence over them. But whilst Arabian Christians gave up their own individuality, forgot their own language- Gothic Latin- and could not even read the creeds, and were ashamed of Christianity, the Jews of Spain were so little affected through this contact with Arabs, that it only served to increase their love and enthusiasm for their mother tongue, their holy law, and their religion. Through favourable circumstances Jewish Spain was in a position at first to rival Babylonia, then to supersede it, and finally to maintain its superiority for nearly five hundred years.’[20]
In Islamic Spain, even the Christians preferred Islamic government (based upon Shariah Law) over that of the Franks. This assertion appears to be quite reasonable when the views of Reinhart Dozy, an authority on the early Islamic Spain, are taken into consideration:
‘The unbounded tolerance of the Arabs must also be taken into account. In religious matters they put pressure on no man…Christians preferred their rule to that of the Franks.’[21]
Ulick R. Burke, a prominent historian specializing in the history of Spain, reached a similar conclusion:
‘Christians did not suffer in any way, on account of their religion, at the hands of Moors…not only perfect toleration but nominal equality was the rule of the Arabs in Spain.’[22]
This tolerance had an immense impact on the Christian population of Spain, many of them converted to Islam and those who did not adopted the Islamic culture in regards to literature and lifestyle. This is emphatically substantiated by the 9th century Spanish Christian writer, Paul Alvarus (who was writing in the 850’s at Cordova):
‘The Christians love to read the poems and romances of the Arabs; they study the Arab theologians and philosophers, not to refute them but to form a correct and elegant Arabic. Where is the layman who now reads the Latin commentaries on the Holy Scriptures, or who studies the Gospels, prophets or apostles? Alas! All talented young Christians read and study with enthusiasm the Arab books; they gather immense libraries at great expense; they despise the Christian literature as unworthy of attention. They have forgotten their own language. For every one who can write a letter in Latin to a friend, there are a thousand who can express themselves in Arabic with elegance, and write better poems in his language then the Arabs themselves.’[23]
Most of the aforementioned opinions indicate that the Muslim arrival in Spain liberated the masses from a deep slumber of ignorance and oppression. Prior to the Islamic emergence, the Catholic Spanish establishment was known for persecuting the Jews and minor Christian sects. The Muslims changed all of that and what followed was the appearance of a true renaissance that enabled Jews, Muslims and Christians to live in peace for centuries. Maria Rosa Menocal, one of the authorities on medieval European literature, decided to title her work (which describes how the Abrahamic faiths co-existed peacefully during the Islamic era) the “Ornament of the world”[24]; the phrase was used by Hroswitha (a 10th century German nun) to describe Islamic Spain[25]. Thus, Islam came as a mercy for the people of Iberian Peninsula, who welcomed the new rulers as liberators for the tyranny of the Visigoths.
One may question as to why was it that the Muslims were invading these lands and removing the already existing governments from power? It must be recognized that most of the 7th/8th century powers were guilty of oppression against their own subjects. The Qur’an provides one of the reasons, which caused the early Muslims to intervene:
‘And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women and children, whose cry is: “Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will help”’[26]
The Muslims were thus charged to carry out a war on terror in order to liberate the weak and oppressed and they duly fulfilled the Qur’anic injunction (it has been substantiated above that the populations of some of the countries Muslims took were severely oppressed by their rulers and it was due to this reason that they welcomed the Muslims as liberators). However, in this 7th century war against terror there was no oil or re-construction/destruction contracts involved. An objective approach to the subject will lead to similar findings. Perhaps the views of the Nestorian Patriarch of Khurasan in the 7th century, Ishoyabh III, will help elucidate upon this more. He addressed a letter to Simeon, the Primate of Persia, where he wrote:
‘and the Arabs, to whom God at this time has given the empire of the world, behold, they are among you, as ye know well: and yet they attack not the Christian faith, but, on the contrary, they favour our religion, do honour to our priests and the saints of the Lord, and confer benefits on churches and monasteries.’[27]
Usually exploitation and plunder of resources follows an invasion, as can clearly be seen in the case of the colonial period and modern day Iraq (Iraq’s most precious Baghdad museum was plundered following the US invasion (2003) and the 7000 years history of Mesopotamian civilisation was lost). Did Muslims follow the same precedence? Adam Smith, the 18th century founding father of modern capitalism (whose portrait is illustrated on the back of the current £20 note), did not think so:
‘The ruin of the empire of the Romans, and, along with it the subversion of all law and order, which happened a few centuries afterwards, produced the entire neglect of that study of the connecting principles of nature, to which leisure and security can alone give occasion. After the fall of those great conquerors and the civilisers of mankind, the empire of the Caliphs seems to have been the first state under which the world enjoyed that degree of tranquillity, which the cultivation of the sciences requires. It was under the protection of those generous and magnificent princes, that the ancient philosophy and astronomy of the Greeks were restored and established in the East; that tranquillity, which their mild, just and religious government diffused over their vast empire, revived the curiosity of mankind, to inquire into the connecting principles of nature.’[28]
Adam Smith (1723-1790) was one of the most outstandingly intelligent economists of his time. His works such as “The Theory of Moral Sentiments” and “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” are thought to be among the cornerstones of Western literature. The latter work (which is the most popular work in the field of economics to this day) seems to be very much concerned with an inquiry into how certain nations acquire prosperity. Some of the ways of acquiring prosperity and scientific advancement, which he expressed in the aforementioned quote, are security, the sense of tranquillity and justice; and Adam Smith believed that the mild, just and religious government of the Muslim Caliphs (who governed with Shariah Law) revived the curiosity of mankind to attain all kind of benefits from nature. 
The critics and the so called modern reformers of Islam need to pay heed to Adam Smith’s words and see whether he was reasonable in his conclusion in this regard. If Islam enabled mankind to achieve a high level of prosperity in those days, it still contains the potential to repeat the same today. One has to observe, in the light of history and contemporary reports, whether the present war on terror really is a war on terror or the 7th century Islamic war on terror better qualifies to be called “a war on terror”. If one was to examine objectively, one will find the 7th century war on terror to be a better choice, as today we do not see any positive outcome of the so called “21st century war on terror” but in the 7th century Muslims weakened the Byzantine, Persian and Visigothic terror to replace it by what, in the case of Spain, Adam Smith describes as scientific enlightenment for Europe:
“The victorious arms of the Saracens [Latin synonym for a Muslim] carried into Spain the learning as well as the gallantry, of the East; and along with it, the tables of Almamon, and the Arabian translations of Ptolemy and Aristotle; and thus Europe received a second time, from Babylon, the rudiments of the sciences of the heavens. The writings of Ptolemy were translated from Arabic into Latin; and the Peripatetic philosophy was studied in Averroes [Ibn Rushd] and Avicenna [Ibn Sina] with as much eagerness and as much submission to its doctrines in the West, as it had been in the East.”[29]
[1] Pope Gregory I quoted by Mohammad Farooq Kemal, The Crescent vs The Cross, Lahore, 1997, P. 7.
[2] The Quran, Surah AL-Anbiya 21, verse 107.
[3] The Quran, Surah an-Noor 24, verse 55.
[4] Carole Hillenbrand, Muhammad and the rise of Islam, The New Cambridge Medieval History, 2005, vol 1, p. 340.
[5] John Bar Penkaye, quoted by Walter E. Kaegi, Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquest, Cambirdge, 2000, p. 216.
[6] T. W. Arnold, Preaching of Islam, London, 1913, p. 55.
[7] Ibid, p. 132-4.
[8] Dionysius of Tel-Mahre, The Seventh Century in the West-Syrian Chronicles, tr by Palmer, Liverpool, 1993, p. 156-7.
[9] T. W. Arnold, Preaching of Islam, London, 1913, p. 61.
[10] The Quran, Surah 4 An-Nisa, Verse 58.
[11] Dionysius of Tel-Mahre, The Seventh Century in the West-Syrian Chronicles, tr by Palmer, Liverpool, 1993, p. 157.
[12] Ibid, p. 158
[13] John of Nikiou, quoted by Petra M. Sijpesteijn, Egypt in the Byzantine World, Cambridge, 2007, p. 442.
[14] Ibid, see footnote 28.
[15] Alfred J. Butler, The Arab Conquest of Egypt and the Last Thirty Years of the Roman Dominion, 1902, Oxford, p. 447-8.
[16] The Jews in the Legal Sources of the Early Middle Ages, edited by Amnon Linder, New York, 1997, p.488.
[17] Zion Zohar, Sephardic & Mizrahi Jewry, New York, 2005, p. 8-9.
[18] Ibid, p. 9.
[19] H. Graetz, History of the Jews, London, 1892, Vol 3, p. 112.
[20] Ibid, p. 220.
[21] Reinhart Dozy, A History of Muslims in Spain, 1861 (reprinted 1913, 2002), Delhi, p.235.
[22] Ulick R. Burke, A History of Spain, London, 1900, vol I, p. 129.
[23] Paul Alvarus quoted by Maria Rosa Menocal, Ornament of the world, New York, 2003, p.66.
[24] Maria Rosa Menocal, Ornament of the world, New York, 2003.
[25] Stanley Lane-Poole, The Moors in Spain, London, 1920, p. 144.
[26] The Quran, Surah An-Nisa 4, verse 75.
[27] Ishoyabh III quoted by T. W. Arnold, Preaching of Islam, London, 1913, p. 81-82.
[28] The Essays of Adam Smith, London, 1869, p. 353.
[29] Ibid, p. 354.
This is a classic! Imam Abu Hanifah was a genious Mash’Allah! It’s said that he was so good at debating that he could convince a person that a mundane element was actually gold Subhn’Allah! If you want some tips on how to articulate a debate with atheists then check out my previous post by clicking here Insh’Allah!
Long ago in the city of Baghdad, On one side of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an athiest approached them. He said to them, ‘I don’t believe in God, there cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you’re wasting your time! Bring me your best debator and I will debate this issue with him.’
The best debator at the time was Imam Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. A messenger from amongst the Muslims was sent over the River Tigris to the city, where Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was, in order to tell him about the athiest who was awaiting him. On crossing the River Tigris, the messenger conveyed the message to Abu Hanifah Rahimullah saying, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, an athiest is waiting for you, to debate you, please come!’ Abu Hanifah Rahimullah told the messeneger that he would be on his way.
The messenger went over the River Tigris once again and to the Royal Palaces, where everyone including the athiest awaited the arrival of Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. It was sunset at the time and one hour had passed, but Abu Hanifah Rahimullah still hadn’t arrived. Another hour had passed, but still there was no sign of him. The Muslims started to become tense and worried about his late arrival. They did not want the athiest to think that they were too scared to debate him, yet they did not want to take up the challenge themselves as Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was the best of Debators from amongst the Muslims. Another hour passed, and suddenly the athiest started laughing and said, ‘ Your best debator is too scared! He knows he’s wrong, he is too frightened to come and debate with me. I gurantee he will not turn up today.’
The Muslims increased in apprehension and eventually it had passed midnight, and the athiest had a smile on his face. The clock ticked on, and finally Abu Hanifah Rahimullah had arrived. The Muslims inquired about his lateness and remarked, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, a messenger sent for you hours ago, and you arrive now, explain your lateness to us.’
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah apologises for his lateness and begins to explain, while the atheist listens to his story.
‘Once the messenger delivered the message to me, I began to make my way to the River Tigris, and on reaching the river bank I realised there was no boat, in order to cross the river. It was getting dark, and I looked around, there was no boat anywhere nor was there a navigator or a sailor in order for me to cross the river to get to the Royal Palaces. I continued to look around for a boat, as I did not want the athiest to think I was running away and did not want to debate with him.
I was standing on the river bank looking for a navigator or a boat when something caught my attention in the middle of the river. I looked forward, and to my amazement I saw planks of wood rising to the surface from the sea bed. I was shocked, amazed, I couldn’t believe what I saw seeing. Ready made planks of wood were rising up to the surface and joining together. They were all the same width and length, I was astounded at what I saw.
I continued to look into the middle of the river, and then I saw nails coming up from the sea floor. They positioned themselves onto the boat and held the planks together, without them being banged. I stood in amazement and thought to myself, ‘Oh Allah, how can this happen, planks of wood rising to the surface by itself, and then nails positioning themselves onto the boat without being banged?’ I could not undertsand what was happening before my eyes.’
The athiest meanwhile was listening with a smile on his face. Abu Hanifah Rahimullah continued, ‘I was still standing on the river bank watching these planks of wood join together with nails. I could see water seeping through the gaps in the wood, and suddenly I saw a sealant appear from the river and it began sealing the gaps without someone having poured it, again I thought, ‘Ya Allah, how is this possible, how can sealant appear and seal the gaps without someone having poured it, and nails appear without someone having banged them.’ I looked closer and I could see a boat forming before my eyes, I stood in amazement and was filled with shock. All of a sudden a sail appeared and I thought to myself, ‘How is this happening, a boat has appeared before my eyes by itself, planks of wood, nails, sealant and now a sail, but how can I use this boat in order to cross the river to the Royal Palaces?’
I stood staring in wonderment and suddenly the boat began to move. It came towards me against the current. It stood floating beside me while I was on the river bank, as if telling me to embark onto it. I went on the boat and yet again it began to move. There was no navigator or sailor on the boat, and the boat began to travel towards the direction of the royal palaces, without anyone having programmed it as to where to go. I could not understand what was happening, and how this boat had formed and was taking me to my destination against the flow of water. The boat eventually reached the other side of the River Tigris and I disembarked. I turned around and the boat had disappeared, and that is why I am late.’
At this moment, the athiest brust out laughing and remarked, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, I heard that you were the best debator from amongst the Muslims, I heard that you were the wisest, the most knowledgable from amongst your people. From seeing you today, I can say that you show none of these qualities. You speak of a boat appearing from nowhere, without someone having built it. Nails positioning themselves without someone having banged them, sealant being poured without someone having poured it, and the boat taking you to your destination without a navigator against the tide, your taking childish, your talking rediculous, I swear I do not belive a word of it!’
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah turned to the athiest and replied, ‘You don’t believe a word of it? You dont believe that nails can appear by themselves? You dont believe sealant can be poured by itself? You dont believe that a boat can move without a navigator, hence you don’t believe that a boat can appear without a boat maker?’
The athiest remarked defiantly, ‘Yes I dont believe a word of it!’
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah replied, ‘If you cannot believe that a boat came into being without a boat maker, than this is only a boat, how can you believe that the whole world, the universe, the stars, the oceans, and the planets came into being without a creator?
The athiest astonished at his reply got up and fled.
